A place for me to blog my experiment of going gluten-free and hopefully help others who are doing the same.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

These are a few of my favorite (gluten-free) things...

Okay, so no singing on hillsids, or convents, or clothing made out of drapes, mind you....but a few things that have grown to favorites over the past few months of going gluten-free for better health. These are in no particular order because I like them all!

1. Laurie150's Gluten Free Flax Bread - okay, so this one is not a convenience food, but it's worth all the effort to have a bread that tastes real. Since I'm the only true gluten free person in the house, I usually eat about half of the loaf and grind the rest for bread crumbs after about two days.

2. Van's Wheat Free Waffles - I know there is controversy over this one, and that some in the gluten-free world won't partake. I have eaten Van's waffles for 8 months with no glutening issues from them. I'm pretty sensitive, too, so to me, no reaction for 8 months puts them on my safe list. My favorite are the Gluten-free Flax waffles. The flax seed adds extra flavor and definitely fiber!

3. Glutino Plain Bagels - recently, my Whole Foods gave me a package of these bagels. I had gone in looking for Foods By George English Muffins, they clerk said they were out and not sure if they were getting more back in any time soon. He took a package of the Glutino Bagels up front, had them mark it paid for me so I could try. I was quite hesitant, the last free offering I got from anywhere was something I did not enjoy too much. These are DELICIOUS! Taste very similarly to a regular gluten bagel, texture is somewhat different...but they toast so nicely and are great with cream cheese, jelly, or as a pizza bagel! :D

4. Jigsaw Bars - now, I received a free box of these when I first started this blog, and promised to give a review and never did (please forgive me! Pleed three kids, homeschooling two!). My kids absolutely adore the chocolate ones, which are so rich even they cannot get thru a whole bar and must split one! I love the fact that they are getting something they feel is a chocolate treat, but are also getting some great vitamins and Omega-3's in there to boot! BRAVO Jigsaw! My favorite is the coconut almond, nice chewy texture and a great coconut flavor with the crunch of almonds. I love having one in my bag in case I'm faced with a place where I'm hungry and cannot eat!

5. Wendy's Ulitmate Grilled Chicken Sandwich, bunless of course. Our local Wendy's does this one up pretty proud. Verfied on Wendy's site as all gluten free. I have not been glutened once! I do avoid the fries even though they say they go in a separate fryer...I'd rather be safe. I love the juicy chicken with the lettuce and tomato and the sauce. Very tasty, and filling without sides.

6. Envirokids Panda Puffs. Yes, I know this is supposed to be a children's cereal, but being one who used to indulge in a box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch every now and then (and would hide it from the kids!), these fill the bill without making me sick!

7. Thai Kitchen Soups - okay, so my favorite is Bangkok Curry with some shrimp added. The fact that the company has a list of gluten-free items, and seems to go out of their way to make something easy and delicious, puts them in top billing in my book!

8. Club Lettucewiches....well...okay, so there's no bread in my club. I love using a Romaine Leaf as the bread - not to mention the lettuce in a club. Wrap turkey, american cheese, tomatoes and bacon in a romaine leaf, and you have a Club Lettucewich! So good! :D

9. Homemade Ice Cream. Something that I had tried only a few times prior to going gluten-free. However, my fears of cross contamination have caused me to try it again. I am now addicted to homemade frozen treats of any sort! If you walk in my house, you'll most likely hear the whirring of my Cuisinart!

10. Corn tortillas. Okay, so this is something I liked before going gluten-free....but I like them even more now. Whether it be big white corn tortillas stuffed with all sorts of taco goodness, or the corn chips that I crunch on top of my salad like croutons, they are delicious! :D

Okay, that's my 10 top favs right now. Who knows how it will change in a year! :D

I'll have to try these recipes. Recently I found a bread mix, Bread from Anna, that can be made simply in the oven or breadmaker. The taste and texture of the bread are unbelievable. Nostalgic. Bread mixes are gf, nutfree, soyfree, dairyfree--a variety.

Disclaimer:

It is the responsibility of each chef to confirm that the contents of each of their ingredients are gluten-free. And I hope that it is assumed, if I list an ingredient that is not naturally gluten free, that you will choose a product based on your own confirmation of it's gluten-free status. THANK YOU!